A trip to the new hospital!

We were at our neighbours son’s 7^th birthday party last Sunday morning when my 11 year old came up to me and told me “Mum, Julian’s not feeling well.” 

I looked over to the swings – where all good teenagers and pre-teens go to play at a playground! – to see him slumped over one of the swings on his stomach with his forehead resting on the ground.

When I got to him and helped him to stand he said that he was having chest pains, so I walked him over to the picnic tables and helped him to sit down.  He flat out begged me not to call an ambulance – he didn’t want to frighten the little kids at the party – so I kept a close eye on him for a while. 

Thank you Fairy Raine!

He rested for a bit, then we did a slow treasure hunt and he had his face painted by a lovely lady called “Fairy Raine” who went along brilliantly with my dare to have his face painted like a Pirate Princess (we were at a Pirate Party to, after all) – he got $10 out of it too!  By the way, I can’t recommend her enough.  She was absolutely brilliant, related fantastically to all the kids, and my own 4 thought she was fantastic. 

So, long story even longer.  He tried to get comfy on the picnic bench, slipped, bent his finger back and promptly sat on it.  Arrrggghhhh!  It swelled up like a bloody balloon, and we toddled off to the local Ambulance station to see if they thought it was broken or not.  No one was there so Will and I made the decision that I would take him to Robina Hospital ‘just in case’.  He is on Warfarin, so our worry wasn’t just that it was broken, but may be bleeding in the joint.

Waiting for results . . .

When we got to Robina Hospital, they took us straight through once they heard how he had injured his finger.  He was hooked up to an ECG, bloods taken, xrays done and they were in constant contact with the Cardiac Fellow at the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital.  

 

HUGE tellies in the ED at Lady Cilento

  

A few hours later, he was transferred to the new Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital where he spent the night, and then spent Monday having tests done.  The new hospital is great, I just wish we hadn't had to see it so soon!

 

HUGE rooms too!

Nothing was found, and his results were all almost identical to the results from the Pulmonary Hypertension clinic in November.  The doctors are of the opinion that he just did too much.

So, now to figure out how to keep a teenager quiet for the next few days . . .

A heartbreaking lesson about friendship

Julian learned an unfortunately hard and heartbreaking lesson today about friendship.

Friends don’t always value you as much as you do them.  He has discovered that it is all too easy for some people to dismiss who you are and your long-standing friendship when what you say doesn't suit them.

He discovered that it hurts and it breaks your heart.

I must admit, I am desperately worried about the backlash when he goes back to school in a few weeks.  I just hope this opens up new opportunities for longer, firmer friendships and isn’t alienated by rumours and lies.

I’m looking forward to meeting his new friends and hope that the old ones soon learn what they are missing out on.

Chewing Gum and Duct Tape

I learned something about myself recently.  It wasn’t pointed out to me, just a realisation that came upon me suddenly while I was clicking my way through Pinterest.

I’ve been hiding myself away from the reality of our life with Julian’s condition.

It is why I have stayed away from blogging.  It is why I have stopped any form of research, and it is why I stopped looking forward to getting together with the other families at the Pulmonary Hypertension clinic every 3 months.

I may seem fine on the outside, but if you don’t see me here or on the Saving Jules Facebook page, it may be because the chewing gum and duct tape that are holding me together inside is coming loose.

Introducing Julian!!!

Well, we’ve had a pretty crappy year this year so far.  The last few months we’ve spent packing and moving, which was not a lot of fun for any of us.  On the day of my last post (in fact only a matter of a few hours later) my cousin passed away unexpectedly, and I lost a very good friend to Pulmonary Hypertension a few weeks later.  My Nana’s health started to deteriorate quickly after the loss of my cousin and in March she sadly passed away at the wonderful age of 90-almost-91.

This morning I woke up with a strong feeling that I really needed to get back into the swing of things with Saving Jules and today I really wanted to introduce you to Julian himself, and the kind of person he is.

He loves to read.

With his favourite author, John Flanagan

Kicking it back with a book

 

He's dramatic.

Oh, the humanity!

 He’s artistic.

Fighting boredom at a clinic

He’s loving and affectionate.

Cuddles with Omar

A new cousin

  He’s a risk tasker.

Climbing a Pandanus Tree at Fingal Head

 

An Essex-Lopresti fracture

 He loves to make people laugh.

          

 

 

And best of all, he’s ours.

With his Dad, Nigel

 

With his younger brothers and sister

Julian, Ayan, Ella-Shae & Boey

Julian & I